RECOVERY Protocol V12 (2020-12-16)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

RECOVERY Protocol V12 (2020-12-16) RANDOMISED EVALUATION OF COVID-19 THERAPY (RECOVERY) Background: In early 2020, as this protocol was being developed, there were no approved treatments for COVID-19, a disease induced by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that emerged in China in late 2019. The UK New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) advised that several possible treatments should be evaluated, including Lopinavir-Ritonavir, low-dose corticosteroids, and Hydroxychloroquine (which has now been done). A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group issued broadly similar advice. These groups also advised that other treatments will soon emerge that require evaluation. Eligibility and randomisation: This protocol describes a randomised trial among patients hospitalised for COVID-19. All eligible patients are randomly allocated between several treatment arms, each to be given in addition to the usual standard of care in the participating hospital: No additional treatment vs colchicine vs corticosteroids (children only) vs intravenous immunoglobulin (children only). In a factorial design (in the UK alone), eligible patients are allocated simultaneously to no additional treatment vs convalescent plasma vs synthetic neutralising antibodies (REGN-COV2). Separately, all participants aged 18 years or older will be allocated to either aspirin vs control. The study allows a subsequent randomisation for patients with progressive COVID-19 (evidence of hyper-inflammatory state): No additional treatment vs tocilizumab. For patients for whom not all the trial arms are appropriate or at locations where not all are available, randomisation will be between fewer arms. Adaptive design: The interim trial results will be monitored by an independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC). The most important task for the DMC will be to assess whether the randomised comparisons in the study have provided evidence on mortality that is strong enough (with a range of uncertainty around the results that is narrow enough) to affect national and global treatment strategies. In such a circumstance, the DMC will inform the Trial Steering Committee who will make the results available to the public and amend the trial arms accordingly. Regardless, follow-up will continue for all randomised participants, including those previously assigned to trial arms that are modified or ceased. New trial arms can be added as evidence emerges that other candidate therapeutics should be evaluated. Outcomes: The main outcomes will be death, discharge, need for ventilation and need for renal replacement therapy. For the main analyses, follow-up will be censored at 28 days after randomisation. Additional information on longer term outcomes may be collected through review of medical records or linkage to medical databases where available (such as those managed by NHS Digital and equivalent organisations in the devolved nations). Simplicity of procedures: To facilitate collaboration, even in hospitals that suddenly become overloaded, patient enrolment (via the internet) and all other trial procedures are greatly streamlined. Informed consent is simple and data entry is minimal. Randomisation via the internet is simple and quick, at the end of which the allocated treatment is displayed on the screen and can be printed or downloaded. Follow-up information is recorded at a single timepoint and may be ascertained by contacting participants in person, by phone or electronically, or by review of medical records and databases. Page 1 of 39 RECOVERY [V12.1 2020-12-16] ISRCTN50189673 EudraCT 2020-001113-21 Data to be recorded: At randomisation, information will be collected on the identity of the randomising clinician and of the patient, age, sex, major co-morbidity, pregnancy, COVID- 19 onset date and severity, and any contraindications to the study treatments. The main outcomes will be death (with date and probable cause), discharge (with date), need for ventilation (with number of days recorded) and need for renal replacement therapy. Reminders will be sent if outcome data have not been recorded by 28 days after randomisation. Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reactions (SUSARs) to one of the study medications (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome, anaphylaxis, aplastic anaemia) will be collected and reported in an expedited fashion. Other adverse events will not be recorded but may be available through linkage to medical databases. Numbers to be randomised: The larger the number randomised the more accurate the results will be, but the numbers that can be randomised will depend critically on how large the epidemic becomes. If substantial numbers are hospitalised in the participating centres then it may be possible to randomise several thousand with mild disease and a few thousand with severe disease, but realistic, appropriate sample sizes could not be estimated at the start of the trial. Heterogeneity between populations: If sufficient numbers are studied, it may be possible to generate reliable evidence in certain patient groups (e.g. those with major co-morbidity or who are older). To this end, data from this study may be combined with data from other trials of treatments for COVID-19, such as those being planned by the WHO. Add-on studies: Particular countries or groups of hospitals, may well want to collaborate in adding further measurements or observations, such as serial virology, serial blood gases or chemistry, serial lung imaging, or serial documentation of other aspects of disease status. While well-organised additional research studies of the natural history of the disease or of the effects of the trial treatments could well be valuable (although the lack of placebo control may bias the assessment of subjective side-effects, such as gastro-intestinal problems), they are not core requirements. To enquire about the trial, contact the RECOVERY Central Coordinating Office Nuffield Department of Population Health, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LF, United Kingdom Tel: 0800 1385451 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.recoverytrial.net To enquire about the trial outside of the UK, contact the relevant Clinical Trial Units (see section 10) To RANDOMISE a patient, visit: Website: www.recoverytrial.net Page 2 of 39 RECOVERY [V12.1 2020-12-16] ISRCTN50189673 EudraCT 2020-001113-21 Table of contents 1 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE ................................................................................................ 4 1.1 SETTING .................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 TREATMENT OPTIONS ................................................................................................................. 4 1.3 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS .......................................................................................................... 6 1.4 POTENTIAL FOR EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS TO BECOME AVAILABLE .................................................. 6 2 DESIGN AND PROCEDURES ........................................................................................................ 7 2.1 ELIGIBILITY................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 CONSENT ................................................................................................................................... 8 2.3 BASELINE INFORMATION.............................................................................................................. 8 2.4 MAIN RANDOMISATION ................................................................................................................ 9 2.5 SECOND RANDOMISATION FOR PATIENTS WITH PROGRESSIVE COVID-19 .................................... 10 2.6 ADMINISTRATION OF ALLOCATED TREATMENT ............................................................................. 12 2.7 COLLECTING FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION ..................................................................................... 12 2.8 DURATION OF FOLLOW-UP ........................................................................................................ 13 2.9 WITHDRAWAL OF CONSENT ....................................................................................................... 14 3 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................. 14 3.1 OUTCOMES .............................................................................................................................. 14 3.2 METHODS OF ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................ 15 4 DATA AND SAFETY MONITORING ............................................................................................. 16 4.1 RECORDING SUSPECTED SERIOUS ADVERSE REACTIONS .......................................................... 16 4.2 CENTRAL ASSESSMENT AND ONWARD REPORTING OF SUSARS .................................................. 16 4.3 RECORDING OTHER ADVERSE EVENTS ...................................................................................... 17 4.4 ROLE OF THE DATA MONITORING COMMITTEE (DMC) ................................................................ 17 4.5 BLINDING ................................................................................................................................. 17 5 QUALITY MANAGEMENT ...........................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • (MGH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidance
    Version 8.0 4/28/2021 10:00AM © Copyright 2020 The General Hospital Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidance This document was prepared (in March, 2020-April, 2021) by and for MGH medical professionals (a.k.a. clinicians, care givers) and is being made available publicly for informational purposes only, in the context of a public health emergency related to COVID-19 (a.k.a. the coronavirus) and in connection with the state of emergency declared by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the President of the United States. It is neither an attempt to substitute for the practice of medicine nor as a substitute for the provision of any medical professional services. Furthermore, the content is not meant to be complete, exhaustive, or a substitute for medical professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information herein should be adapted to each specific patient based on the treating medical professional’s independent professional judgment and consideration of the patient’s needs, the resources available at the location from where the medical professional services are being provided (e.g., healthcare institution, ambulatory clinic, physician’s office, etc.), and any other unique circumstances. This information should not be used to replace, substitute for, or overrule a qualified medical professional’s judgment. This website may contain third party materials and/or links to third party materials and third party websites for your information and convenience. Partners is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or content of any of those third party materials or websites nor does it endorse them.
    [Show full text]
  • Progress in the Development of Potential Therapeutics and Vaccines Against COVID-19 Pandemic
    Acta Scientific Pharmaceutical Sciences (ISSN: 2581-5423) Volume 5 Issue 7 July 2021 Review Article Progress in the Development of Potential Therapeutics and Vaccines against COVID-19 Pandemic Abhishek Kumar Yadav, Shubham Kumar and Vikramdeep Monga* Received: May 02, 2021 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, Published: June 09, 2021 India © All rights are reserved by Vikramdeep *Corresponding Author: Vikramdeep Monga, Department of Pharmaceutical Monga., et al. Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India. Abstract Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19 or coronavirus disease 2019 and the same has been declared as a global pandemic by WHO which marked the third introduction of a virulent coronavirus into human society. This a threat to human life worldwide. Considerable efforts have been made for developing effective and safe drugs and vaccines against is a highly pathogenic human coronavirus in which pneumonia of unknown origin was identified in China in December 2019 and is SARS-CoV-2. The current situation and progress in the development of various therapeutic candidates including vaccines in preclini- cal and clinical studies have been described in the manuscript. Until now, many people have been infected with this lethal virus, and a lot of people have died from this COVID-19. This viral disease spreads by coming in contact with an infected person. Understand- ing of SARS-CoV-2 is growing in relation to its epidemiology, virology, and clinical management strategies. Till date, very few drugs or vaccines have been developed or approved for the treatment of this deadly disease of COVID-19 and many candidates are under the clinical development pipeline.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact of SARS-Cov-2 Variant on the Severity of Maternal Infection and Perinatal Outcomes: Data from the UK Obstetric Surveillan
    medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.22.21261000; this version posted July 25, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license . Impact of SARS-CoV-2 variant on the severity of maternal infection and perinatal outcomes: Data from the UK Obstetric Surveillance System national cohort. Nicola Vousden PhD1, Rema Ramakrishnan PhD1, Kathryn Bunch MA1, Edward Morris MD2, Nigel Simpson MBBS3, Christopher Gale PhD4, Patrick O’Brien MBBCh,2,5, Maria Quigley MSc1, Peter Brocklehurst MSc6, Jennifer J Kurinczuk MD1, Marian Knight DPhil1 1National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK 2Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London, UK 3Department of Women's and Children's Health, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, UK 4Neonatal Medicine, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK 5Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, London, UK 6Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, UK *Corresponding author: Marian Knight National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK 01865 289700 [email protected] NOTE: This preprint reports new research that has not been certified by peer review and should not be used to guide clinical practice. 1 medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.22.21261000; this version posted July 25, 2021.
    [Show full text]
  • An Examination of COVID-19 Medications' Effectiveness
    healthcare Review An Examination of COVID-19 Medications’ Effectiveness in Managing and Treating COVID-19 Patients: A Comparative Review Mahmoud Al-Masaeed 1,* , Mohammad Alghawanmeh 2, Ashraf Al-Singlawi 3 , Rawan Alsababha 4 and Muhammad Alqudah 1 1 Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, Australia; [email protected] 2 Faculty of Pharmacy, Philadelphia University, Amman 19392, Jordan; [email protected] 3 Independent Scholar, Amman 11731, Jordan; [email protected] 4 School of nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2560, Australia; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Background: The review seeks to shed light on the administered and recommended COVID- 19 treatment medications through an evaluation of their efficacy. Methods: Data were collected from key databases, including Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar, and CINAHL. Other platforms included WHO and FDA publications. The review’s literature search was guided by the WHO Citation: Al-Masaeed, M.; solidarity clinical trials for COVID-19 scope and trial-assessment parameters. Results: The findings Alghawanmeh, M.; Al-Singlawi, A.; indicate that the use of antiretroviral drugs as an early treatment for COVID-19 patients has been Alsababha, R.; Alqudah, M. An useful. It has reduced hospital time, hastened the clinical cure period, delayed and reduced the Examination of COVID-19 need for mechanical and invasive ventilation, and reduced mortality rates. The use of vitamins, Medications’ Effectiveness in minerals, and supplements has been linked to increased immunity and thus offering the body a Managing and Treating COVID-19 fighting chance. Nevertheless, antibiotics do not correlate with improving patients’ wellbeing and Patients: A Comparative Review.
    [Show full text]
  • Official Report of This Meeting
    COVID-19 Committee Thursday 18 February 2021 Session 5 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.parliament.scot or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Thursday 18 February 2021 CONTENTS Col. CITIZENS PANEL ................................................................................................................................................ 5 SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION............................................................................................................................. 26 Personal Protective Equipment (Temporary Arrangements) (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (SSI 2021/50) ............................................................................................................. 26 Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Amendment (No 16) Regulations 2021 [Draft] ........................................................................................ 26 COVID-19 COMMITTEE 6th Meeting 2021, Session 5 CONVENER *Donald Cameron (Highlands and Islands) (Con) DEPUTY CONVENER Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Lab) COMMITTEE MEMBERS *Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) *Maurice Corry (West Scotland) (Con) *Annabelle Ewing (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) *John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) *Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) *Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) *Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD)
    [Show full text]
  • COVID-Clinical-Update.Pdf
    COVID-19 Update Jorge Mera, MD Whitney Essex, APRN Questions • I have heard that the only thing that will end this pandemic is acquisition of immunity. That means either natural or by vaccination, therefore, in the absence of vaccination, we should be encouraging natural immunity (infection with recovery) rather than advocating avoidance. Any chosen path will result in casualties. however, our current path of avoidance is drawing out the process and hurting our nation. Please comment. • Prescriptions for zithromax and hydroxychloroquine have skyrocketed across the nation. Is there any role for these medications for outpatients, either prophylactically or for treatment? Please also discuss other treatments being advocated such as zinc. Dynamic interventions to control COVID-19 pandemic: a multivariate prediction modelling study comparing 16 worldwide countries • Non-pharmacological interventions (NPI) have been the mainstay for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. • While NPIs are effective in preventing health systems overload, these long-term measures are likely to have significant adverse economic consequences • Many countries are currently considering to lift the NPIs • Dynamic NPIs, with intervals of relaxed social distancing, may provide a more suitable alternative, • But the ideal frequency and duration of intermittent NPIs, and the ideal “break” when interventions can be temporarily relaxed, remain uncertain • Multivariate prediction model, based on up-to-date transmission and clinical parameters, to simulate outbreak traJectories in 16 countries, from diverse regions and economic categories. • In each country, we then modelled the impacts on intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths over an 18-month period for following scenarios: 1. No intervention 2. Consecutive cycles of mitigation measures followed by a relaxation period 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Ongoing Living Update of Potential COVID-19 Therapeutics: Summary of Rapid Systematic Reviews
    Ongoing Living Update of Potential COVID-19 Therapeutics: Summary of Rapid Systematic Reviews RAPID REVIEW – July 13th 2020. (The information included in this review reflects the evidence as of the date posted in the document. Updates will be developed according to new available evidence) Disclaimer This document includes the results of a rapid systematic review of current available literature. The information included in this review reflects the evidence as of the date posted in the document. Yet, recognizing that there are numerous ongoing clinical studies, PAHO will periodically update these reviews and corresponding recommendations as new evidence becomes available. 1 Ongoing Living Update of Potential COVID-19 Therapeutics: Summary of Rapid Systematic Reviews Take-home messages thus far: • More than 200 therapeutic options or their combinations are being investigated in more than 1,700 clinical trials. In this review we examined 26 therapeutic options. • Preliminary findings from the RECOVERY Trial showed that low doses of dexamethasone (6 mg of oral or intravenous preparation once daily for 10 days) significantly reduced mortality by one- third in ventilated patients and by one fifth in patients receiving oxygen only. The anticipated RECOVERY Trial findings and WHO’s SOLIDARITY Trial findings both show no benefit via use of hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir in terms of reducing 28-day mortality or reduced time to clinical improvement or reduced adverse events. • Currently, there is no evidence of benefit in critical outcomes (i.e. reduction in mortality) from any therapeutic option (though remdesivir is revealing promise as one option based on 2 randomized controlled trials) and that conclusively allows for safe and effective use to mitigate or eliminate the causative agent of COVID-19.
    [Show full text]
  • COVID and COVID Vaccine Update
    Friday General Session COVID and COVID Vaccine Update Jason Bowling, MD Associate Professor of Infectious Disease, Medical Director of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiologist Company UT Health San Antonio San Antonio, Texas Educational Objectives By completing this educational activity, the participant should be better able to: 1. Evaluate the diagnostic challenges surrounding COVID. 2. Assess the risk factors for mild versus severe disease in patients infected with COVID. 3. Assess the rapidly changing treatment landscape for COVID patients with mild to moderate disease. Discuss the mechanism of action, side effects, and adverse events of COVID vaccines and review recommendations regarding COVID vaccination. Speaker Disclosure Dr. Bowling has disclosed that neither he nor members of his immediate family have a relevant financial relationship with an ineligible company. 6 COVID-19 and COVID-19 Vaccine Update Disclosures Jason Bowling, MD, FIDSA Associate Professor of Medicine Medical Director Infection Prevention UH & UTHSA Hospital Epidemiologist, University Hospital • I have no financial disclosures or conflicts of interest to report. • I will discuss medications being used in the context of a clinical trial. 12 Objectives • Analyze the clinical impact of the virology and epidemiology of COVID-19. • Evaluate the diagnostic challenges surrounding COVID-19. • Assess the rapidly changing treatment landscape for COVID-19 patients: outpatients and inpatients. • Discuss the mechanism of action, side effects, and adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines and review recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccination. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html - Accessed 5-19-21 34 San Antonio Metro Health: 5-19-21 56 1 Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients IHME COVID-19 PROJECTIONS: TEXAS University Hospital 5-19-21 COVID-19 (healthdata.org) – Updated 5/19/21 78 Brief SARS-CoV-2 Virology SARS-CoV-2 Pathogenesis • Spike protein binds ACE-2 receptor in human host • ACE-2 receptors .
    [Show full text]
  • Randomized Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy) Brigid Mary Flanagan, BA, RN, CCRC, MSB
    Clinical Researcher™ The Authority in Ethical, Responsible Clinical Research December 2020 (Volume 34, Issue 10) All contents © 2020 ACRP. All Rights Reserved (The Association of Clinical Research Professionals) 1 | P a g e Clinical Researcher™ Association of Clinical Research Professionals Editor-in-Chief Director, Advertising & Exhibition Sales James Michael Causey Tammy B. Myers, CEM [email protected] [email protected] (703) 253-6274 (703) 254-8112 Managing Editor Media Kit Gary W. Cramer https://acrpnet.org/advertising/ [email protected] (703) 258-3504 For membership questions, contact ACRP at [email protected] or (703) 254-8100. Editorial Advisors for This Issue Suheila Abdul-Karrim, CCRA, CCRT, FACRP (Freelancer) For information on writing for Clinical Staci Horvath, CCRA Researcher, visit (Gradalis, Inc.) https://www.acrpnet.org/resources/clinical- researcher/ or e-mail [email protected]. Stefanie La Manna, PhD, MPH, ARNP, Credit-granting Home Study tests are available FNP-C (Nova Southeastern University) at https://www.acrpnet.org/home-study/, along with downloadable PDFs of the relevant articles Jerry Stein, PhD, ACRP-CP and questions. The test from this issue should be (Summer Creek Consulting, LLC) online in January 2021. 2 | P a g e Clinical Researcher—December 2020 (Volume 34, Issue 10) Table of Contents 4 Executive Director’s Message—A Spring of Hope from Our Winter of Despair Jim Kremidas 6 Chair’s Message—Staying in the Spotlight After the Storm Has Passed Paul Evans, PhD PEER REVIEWED 9 Quality by Design in the RECOVERY Trial (Randomized Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy) Brigid Mary Flanagan, BA, RN, CCRC, MSB 18 Biobanking and the COVID-19 Pandemic Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • COVID-19: Emerging Trials and Treatments
    Emerging Therapies for CoVID-19 CAPT Ryan Schupbach, PharmD, BCPS, CACP Vice Chair, IHS National Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee IHS COVID-19 TeleECHO Session September 17, 2020 OBJECTIVES • Identify evidence-based therapies for treatment of CoVID-19 SARS-CoV2 structure • Review clinical trial characteristics of Spike (S) emerging CoVID-19 therapies Envelope (E) Genome RNA Nucleocapsid (N) • Examine the availability and staging of Membrane (M) leading CoVID-19 vaccines Adapted from Jin Y et al. Viruses. 2020 March 7 2 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Nothing to disclose • I have no financial relationships with commercial entities producing healthcare related products and/or services. 3 Potential Therapies: CoVID-19 • >1000 compounds theorized with potential against COVID-19 • 27 FDA-approved drugs initially identified as candidates (repurposing) • Over 20,000 safety-tested (unmarketed) compounds in FDA Database • 400,000 natural products available; many using supercomputers to identify computational matches (pharmacophore analysis) • Over 1200 clinical trials registered globally since March • Analysis showed 38% of trials had planned enrollment of <100 patients 1. Krogan, N. How COVID-19 Drug Hunters Spot Virus-Fighting Compounds. Scientific American. March 20, 2020. 2. US Food and Drug Administration. FACT SHEET. www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-basics/fact-sheet-fda-glance 3. Stat-AppliedXL analysis. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov 4 4. Steele Ji. Medical Press. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-lab-naturally-compounds-potential-covid-.html. June 19, 2020 5 Kupferschmidt K, Cohen J (2020) Race to find COVID-19 treatments accelerates. Science (New York, NY) 367:1412–1413 6 FasterCures. The Milken Institute. © 2020 Milken Institute and First Person.
    [Show full text]
  • Moving Quickly in Pandemics BMJ: First Published As 10.1136/Bmj.M2730 on 9 July 2020
    EDITOR'S CHOICE The BMJ [email protected] Follow Richard on Moving quickly in pandemics BMJ: first published as 10.1136/bmj.m2730 on 9 July 2020. Downloaded from Twitter @rich_hurley Richard Hurley features and debates editor Cite this as: BMJ 2020;370:m2730 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2730 Speed is of the essence in responding to the covid-19 pandemic. But in Leicester lockdown has been reimposed Published: 09 July 2020 because information was shared too slowly. Local authorities lacked centrally held data to detect a rise in cases and act swiftly. In an editorial this week Mike Gill, Devi Sridhar, and Fiona Godlee describe a “chaotic system” in England that seems to focus on increasing test numbers instead of establishing a local testing strategy designed to contain the virus and save lives.1 They blame the government’s “paternalistic, centralising tendency” and lack of trust in local professionals. Wales shares covid-19 data locally. Scotland’s “zero covid” test, trace, and isolate strategy is built on existing local capacity and locally led tracing, with daily public reports on testing.2 This open, strategic approach, including clear lines of accountability, is working, the editorialists argue. England will see further lockdowns and deaths “without swift and decisive action by those at local and national levels who understand communicable disease control,” they say.1 Information from trials can enable speedy decisions. The rapidly convened RECOVERY trial is currently assessing dexamethasone in children, azithromycin, tocilizumab, and plasma.3 This “platform trial” involves over 175 UK hospitals, 3500 healthcare professionals, and 15% of all hospital patients with covid-19.
    [Show full text]
  • Of the Royal College of Pathologists
    The Bulletin of the Royal College of Pathologists Number 191 July 2020 SPECIAL EDITION: Pathology and COVID-19 The role of genomics in shaping the response Cytology and the pandemic Experiences of NHS Nightingale Death certification Establishing convalescent plasma therapy Caring for the deceased Testing in the devolved nations Our COVID-19 seminars Also in this issue: The Royal College of Pathologists Haematology workforce challenges Pathology: the science behind the cure Going digital: training and exams Kate Gould: an appreciation The Royal College of Pathologists CONTENTS Pathology: the science behind the cure July 2020 NuMBER 191 EDITORIALS 114 INTERNATIONAL 150 From the Editor 114 Challenges for pathology laboratories during From the President 115 the pandemic: the view from Australia 150 PATHOLOGY AND COVID-19 117 Reorganisation of mobile blood collections in the age of social distancing 152 A new plague year 117 The role of viral genomics in shaping the TRAINING 154 response to the pandemic 118 FRCPath examinations during the COVID Nightingale tales 121 pandemic 154 The journey from Oxford medical school to Digital pathology and safe workplace the world’s largest ICU 124 station awareness 157 Cytology and the pandemic 125 Creating e-learning modules for undergraduate Establishing convalescent plasma as an medical students 159 effective therapy 126 Digital pathology validation for trainees: 160 Healthcare scientists in pathology: the CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS 162 challenges of responding to the virus 128 What does patient safety in
    [Show full text]